1. Buy a narrow tipped rubber bulb syringe at a drug store. It will look something like this:
2. Find a few drinking straws- the thicker walled, the better.
3. Slice a potato (carefully!) into 1/4 inch thick disks.
4. Press one end of the straw into the potato disk. When you remove the straw, the potato plug should remain in the straw end.
   
   
5. Slip the nose of the syringe into the end of the straw, pushing the plug farther into the straw. Make sure it makes an airtight seal.
   
6.  Rapidly squeeze the syringe bulb, and the potato plug will shoot out at high speed!

 

A few variations and suggestions:

1. If you gently hold the straw on top of the potato plug, so the plug is somewhat restrained when squeezing the bulb, it will travel a much greater distance. Why?
2. Try inserting the syringe in the opposite end of the straw.
3. Try different kinds of potatoes, apples, beets, etc.
4. Tape six or seven straws together into a "gattling gun" arrangement, so you don't have to reload as frequently.

 

???Did you know????

That air guns have been used to shoot frozen chickens over 450 m.p.h. to test aircraft canopies?

 

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